


Meeting Matoki

by Deonara2012



Category: ATEEZ (Band), B.A.P
Genre: Alternate Universe - First Contact, Gen, disguises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:35:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23913172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deonara2012/pseuds/Deonara2012
Summary: The first time Mingi met an alien, he didn't look like one. And he was REALLY glad, after it was all revealed, that YoungJae didn't turn out to be a giant bug.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4
Collections: Whole New World





	Meeting Matoki

**Author's Note:**

> When B.A.P debuted, they put themselves out as aliens, called Matoki, from the planet Mato. Each one got his own little character which reflected each member. As I have loved the Matoki from the beginning, I thought to include them (and made them bigger, as I don't think they came up much past the knees of the boys). For reference: [Jokomato (YoungJae)](https://1.soompi.io/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/youngjae.jpg) and [Shishimato (Bang Yongguk)](https://1.soompi.io/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/bang-yong-guk.jpg)

The first contact situation needed special care and tact. "You're my first pick," HongJoong told Mingi, who stared at him like he'd lost his mind. Which Mingi honestly believed.

"Why?"

HongJoong smiled briefly. "Because you can make friends with anyone. I won't send you alone."

That made Mingi feel marginally better. 

So now he tried very hard not to pace - and failed. Having Sunghwa there helped even a little bit. But not by much. There was so much he could totally mess up, and he knew it. 

"You are going to worry yourself right out the airlock," Sunghwa said, catching his arm and pulling him to a stop. "It's driving me crazy. What's wrong?"

"There are so many things that can go wrong," Mingi said, his voice low. "And I know how badly I can screw this up."

"You'll be fine," Sunghw said. "You're prepared, you've been training hard under HongJoong, and you've learned well."

Mingi shook his head, but didn't pull himself free of the grip on his arm. "Won't they pay attention to you?" he asked.

Sunghwa shook his head with a gentle smile. "They'll be paying attention to you," he assured Mingi.

"Why?"

"Trust me."

As he had no reason not to, Mingi agreed.

Joko ran a nervous hand over his ears, trying to get them to lay flat, but they wouldn't when he was this nervous. 

Shishi patted his shoulder. "Relax," he said. "It's not that hard. They're just human, and they're as nervous as you are."

"That doesn't actually help me," Joko said.

"It's not...." Shishi paused and gently pressed Joko's ears down farther, and Joko relaxed under the touch. "This is a casual meeting, and I'll be there to help. You have learned well, and you'll do fine."

Joko took a deep breath and activated his Illusion, straightening instinctively. He checked the mirror to make sure nothing was going wrong, and sighed. "It's still blond."

Shishi laughed softly. "Keke insisted," he said. "She thinks you look best as a blond."

Joko sighed. "He's going to think I'm stupid."

"He won't," Shishi said, and activated his own illusion. "Come on."

It took no time at all for Joko to realize why he'd said the man he came to meet wouldn't think him stupid - considering he had bright red hair. They met in a quiet restaurant, sitting at the bar in a dark corner. The redhead smiled. "Hi," he said, and held out a hand, almost hesitantly. "I'm Mingi."

"YoungJae," he said, taking the hand in a firm handshake. "It's nice to meet you."

Sunghwa watched the two settle down to talk, exchanging basic ideas about their cultures, and smiled. It looked like it would go well, and it helped, he knew, that they both wanted to make this work. That was one reason they'd sent these two.

"You're watching them as closely as I am," a low voice said softly.

Sunghwa looked at him, and smiled. "Yes," he said. "Sunghwa. You are?"

"YoungGuk," the man said, and smiled back. "It's good to meet you."

Sunghwa nodded. "They look like they're getting along well."

"It helps that they want to," YongGuk said. 

"Yes," Sunghwa said, and they fell silent again, watching the two talk at the bar. They each had something to drink, although neither of them appeared to be affected by it. That was good. And, as he'd expected, Mingi and his partner... "What's your friend's name?" he asked YoungGuk, who gave him a gummy smile.

"YoungJae," he said with a smile. "And yours?"

"Mingi."

"Thanks," YongGuk said, and they went back to watching the two.

Mingi and YoungJae seemed to be getting along well, heads close together as they talked about whatever had their attention. It only ended when the bar closed, and Sunghwa collected Mingi as the two said their good byes.

"What did you think?" Sunghwa asked.

Mingi relaxed, running his hands through his hair. "He's nice," he said. "It's... I don't know. I don't think he's actually human... or, like, what we saw wasn't his actual face. Or even his actual body. It was... there were just some of his mannerisms that seemed off, like... he wasn't used to his form, or something."

Sunghwa nodded slowly. "I wondered if they had taken a human-like form, to blend in."

"Do you think we'll be able to see what they really look like?"

Sunghwa tilted his head. "Are you sure you want to?" he asked. "What if they're bugs?"

Mingi shuddered. "Well...." He thought about that, and then bit his lip. "I think I'll be okay with him, just because he's so... he was nice. And I'd like to stay his friend."

Sunghwa grinned. "We'll get you over that irrational fear one day," he teased.

Mingi shook his head. "Probably not."

"What did you think?" Shishi asked, once they'd gotten back to the ship and turned their Illusions off. 

"I like him," Joko said, stretching his ears out. "I think... if they're like him, they'll be okay. I mean." He gestured aimlessly.

Shishi patted his shoulder. "I don't know if they will or not. Or if the rest of them are or not. I think Mingi and his friend are going to be good friends for us."

Joko nodded. "I think so, too," he said.

The second time they met at a less neutral place. Mingi followed Sunghwa into the building, not at all sure about this whole thing. It was one thing to tell him he didn't mind if YoungJae were a bug, but....

YoungJae met them in a smallish room, although there was enough for the four of them. He greeted Mingi with a smile and a bow that Mingi returned. Both, in fact. He liked this person from Mato, and it felt still... like things were okay.

"You must have questions," the tall man in red said, standing next to Joko. He looked rougher, with tattoos Mingi could see. 

"Yes," Sunghwa said. "But they can wait."

This meeting was for the more formal two, and Joko gestured at Mingi, taking him over to another corner, out of the way of the two meeting in the center. "They'll be there forever," YoungJae said, and smiled. "I had some questions about some of the things we talked about last time."

Mingi perked up. "Oh?" he asked.

Sunghwa had made it clear he wasn't there to be a bodyguard. He wasn't there to make sure nothing happened to him. Mingi knew Yeosang and San and WooYoung thought him far too naive for this sort of thing, but Sunghwa seemed to want him, and as Sunghwa technically outranked them, he got what he wanted. HongJoong hadn't protested.

"Yeah," YoungJae said. "I'm curious about your dancing."

Mingi smiled. "I don't think I can show you here," he said, keeping his voice low. "At least, not in person. But I think...." He pulled out his phone and checked. "Yeah, you have wifi. Let's see what I can pull up."

They'd gone through at least twenty of Mingi's favorite videos when Sunghwa patted his shoulder. "Are you ready?" he asked.

Mingi looked up at him, then stretched and stood up. "Yes," he said, although his expression matched YoungJae's for reluctance.

Sunghwa smiled. "Good."

"Before you go," Joko said, at a nod from his friend/superior/whatever he was, "we'd like to show you what we look like on Mato."

Mingi blinked, and then looked at Sunghwa, before looking back at his friend (they could be friends, right?). "I'd like that," he said, without hesitation. And if his fingers were crossed behind his back, that was okay, right?

YoungJae reached for something at his waist, hidden by... something, and then the image faded to show a... well, a rabbit. Huge, because he was nearly as tall as Mingi, with long ears he stretched to their full height with what had to be a sigh of relief. "I'm Joko," he said. "YoungJae is the name of the Illusion."

Mingi had to fight not to echo that sigh. They weren't bugs. Bunnies, he could deal with. He hoped. He was... Mingi couldn't figure out what color his fur was, because he seemed to be wearing a black suit, with a white face, except where, over his mouth, it was yellow. It looked, maybe, like that was his natural fur? If they had fur? The eyes would take some getting used to, because they were just... black.

"Wow," he breathed with a smile. "You're... I'm sorry. But the words fuzzy and cute come to mind. I don't mean to insult you," he added quickly.

"You haven't," Joko said, and his voice sounded the same, his eyes were the same.

"What do you call those?" Sunghwa asked, his tone curious.

"Illusions," the other man said, as he faded as well to reveal another tall bunny, this one in camouflage black, with oval white eyes and a red gas mask. Or something like it. He didn't stretch his ears the way Joko had. He still looked relaxed, as Joko did, like this was much more comfortable. Mingi could guess it would be. "I'm Shishi," he said.

"Illusions. Are they... I mean, do all of your crew have one?" Sunghwa asked.

"Yes," Joko said. "We've... it's better, that way, because of your world. You aren't... I mean, you don't have a lot of experience with aliens, not like we do."

"No," Mingi said. "We don't." He tilted his head, and smiled. "I think it would be interesting to meet the rest of your crew, and we can bring ours, and have a sort of... mixer or something," he said. "I'd just... like to get to know your people better."

Joko smiled brightly. “I’d like that,” he said, and next to him, Shishi nodded.

Mingi smiled.


End file.
